About web cams
A basic Webcam is a digital camera attached to your computer, typically through the serial or USB port. The “Webcam” functions thru the software supplied with the camera. Webcam software “grabs a frame” from the digital camera at a preset interval of for example 30 frames per second and transfers it to another location for viewing. If want to use your Webcam for streaming video, you’ll need a system with a high end frame rate. The frame rate indicates the amount of pics the software can grab and transfer per second. For streaming video, you need a minimum of at least 15 fps and 30 frames per second is high quality. To have higher frame rates you will need a cable or DSL internet connection.
Once the software captures a given frame it broadcasts the frame over your Internet connection using a range of methods. The most common method is turning the picture into a JPEG file that uploads that file via a remote server using ftp, or file transfer protocol. Audio is also commonly used in conjunction with modern webcams.
